The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday passed the 2025 budget of Rivers State, totaling N1.485 trillion. The budget was approved after a third reading of the appropriation bill on the Senate floor, following the presentation and consideration of the report by the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Rivers State during the Committee of Supply session.
The bill authorizes the issuance of N1,485,662,592,442 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of Rivers State for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025.
According to the approved breakdown:
* N120.8 billion is allocated for debt servicing
* N287.38 billion is for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure
* N1.077 trillion is earmarked for capital expenditure
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central), while supporting the passage, raised concerns over an additional N50 billion allocated for the payment of outstanding pensions and gratuities. He urged the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee to ensure strict oversight to guarantee that the funds are properly disbursed to pensioners without delay.
With the Senate’s passage, the 2025 Rivers State budget now moves forward for assent and implementation.
This development follows President Bola Tinubu’s submission of the 2025 Appropriation Bill for Rivers State to the National Assembly in May, after the suspension of the Rivers State House of Assembly. In his letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Tinubu stated that the proposed budget—initially put at N1.481 trillion—was aimed at revitalizing critical sectors.
The move came after the Supreme Court nullified the 2025 budget earlier presented by the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, necessitating federal intervention in the state’s budgetary process.
